Condenser-pump.



w. H. BLAKE.

CONDENSER PUMP.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 19| i916.

Patented July 9, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

52x34 In como onumm.. wAsmuamN. l:4

W. H'. BLAKE.

CONDENSER PUMP.

APPLICATION FILED APR. I9. I9I6.

1,271,841. y Patented Ju1y'9,1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

.5f o G 55 V1 i I I V'l Invert/Io@ www@ 33H W7 W. HfLAKE.

CONDENSER PUMP.

APPLICATION FILED APR. I9. 191e.

1 ,271,841 Patented July 9, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

////////%ullnnungmnnunm@ K Milli WIL'IIIAMv'I-I. BLAKE, OE BOSTON,l MASSACHUSETTS.

CONDENSER-PUMP.

Speci'eation'of Letters Patent:

PatentedfJ'uly 9, 1918i Application iled'April 19, 1916.` Serial No. 92,274.

T0 aZZfuLom t may concern Bc. it known thatv I, WILLIAM. H. BLAKE, a citizelrof the United States, residing at Boston, in the county ofA Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and l useful Improvements in Gondenser-Pumps,.of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention rel-atesto pump condensers having a b y-passthrough which air; accuf mulating above thewaterv line. inthe condenser, `may be drawn ioff (by the same pump that. withdraws thewater fromiand maintains vacuum'in thev condenser. Pump condenser-s asl generally constructed have employed combined' airf and water, pumps to remove the coolingfwater together withwthe water ofi condensation from the condenser chamber and` maintain necessary vacuum therein; but these are found to be quite inefficient inl the development; of vacuum, particularly when packingsrand connections become .leaky and air enters thesystem and accumulates above the water: in the vacuum chamber.' It has been proposed to introduce an air Abyfpass between the top of the water Vpump 1 cylinder or` cylinders, and the vacuum chamber, together with valves locatedJ to permit suction` upon thelby-pass' air.y pipe during, the; latter part of' forward or suction stroke ofthe pump, butto-close saidair pipe'during the downward stroke; scefor instance the arrangement disclosed in U. S.Letters Patent NO QSSASL granted April #2th, 1911, inthenames of myself and another. But thisvarrangement` has proven not 'wholly eflicienty in keeping down the waterf,v level, ormaintaining vacuum inthe condenser, besides-which` it is'not applicable to thebuckettype of, pump, 'but is lim-ited in, itsapplication to the piston type, vwhich pumps water at the lower endoffthe cylinder and .air at the upper-end.

@ne object. of= the present inventionV is to provide a by-passarrangement thatl will be applicable tol both theA piston and bucket type ofy condenser pumps7 to which` end, one feature of thelinvention consists in connecting the air by-pass at an intermediate point of thepump cylinder, so that a. portion of cach water suction stroke may be utilized to draw on the air pipe.

Another object `of the invention is to automatically water seal the check valve in the air by-passand 'to these ends, another feature of the invention consists inlcombining an intermediately connectedk air by--pass witha bucket pump and so constructing the port and conimunicating. passage between the-valve and the ,pump cylinder, that' at each lifting stroke, the bucket willi deliver a portion ofthe water into the valvefchamberand keep it constantly, flooded, though withoutbarring afree escape of saidmvater during. a later portion offthe lifting stroke, when the air port. is exposedto the suction createdbeneath the-bucket.

Another object ofthe invention isto vinsure 4the openingof the Valvein the by-pass in casesy wherethe accumulation of air is not sufii'eient toproi-nptlv open the air v-alve and keep it open thev necessary. length of time, as 'for instance when the packings are Ainpeifect ordery and a `comparatively small proportion of air is accumulating in` the condenser; and to theseends, another' feature of the present invention consists in combining ywith an intermediately connected air by-pass, means for positively opening the valve at` the proper time in the cycle .of` movements.`

Other features ofthecprescnt' invention relate to certaindetailsin the construction and'coperativerelationship ofthe parts, .as .willr be hereinafter fully, described` and particularly pointedout in the claims.

ln the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 shows a;vertical section ofa condenser and pump provided with my new by-pass;

1 Fig, shows: a back elevationof a twin condenser pump showing the vrelation ofr the new by-pass-by heavy` lines, and also'show'- ing means for mechanically operating same;

3is a vertical' section ofV a nonf divided form of theby-pass valve and its mechanicalA drive, and

Fig'.- 4 is a front view-of aportion inFigi l, as seen in the direction of the arrows Referring briefly to the parts. of the known type of'pump condenser which has been selected for thel purpose of illustrating the 'applicationI of. my invention,4 A represents the condenser chamber and Ba pump ofy the,` bucket. type.

Exhauststeam entersthe inlet l, while cooling'w-ater enter-s through the pipe Zand passes up through the liner 3 beneath: the valve 4in a spray represented by the dotted line 5; the flow of water being controlled through hand: wheel 6, shaft 7., Valve, stem V3, and gearing9, said gearing embodying a nut threaded on said stem and secured to the removable head 10. The upwardly sprayed water falls successively from the flanges 11, 12 and 13, thus providing veils of water through which the exhaust steam must pass in entering the condenser. Water of condensation, together with the cooling water, passes downward through the neck 14 and into the suction base 16. Any preferred form of vacuum breaker 15 may be employed to open communication with the eX- ternal atmosphere in case the water rises too high in the condenser after the engine is shut down and back flow is introduced by the vacuum of the steam passages. Pipe 17 connects chamber 16 with the suction chamber 18 of the pump B. Suitably mounted upon this suction chamber with interposed packing 19, are the valve seats 20 carrying the valves 21, while above these valves is the pump cylinder 22, which is preferably provided with bronze liner 23. 211 represents the pumping bucket, 25 its valves and 26 the discharge chamber at top of the cylinder which is provided with the usual hand-holes 27, head 28 and gland 29 for guiding and packing the pump rod 30.

I will now proceed to describe the device which I combine with the known apparatus above described for accomplishing the Ipurposes of the present invention. But in this connection, I desire it understood that the description, while referring to the details of the particular embodiment of attachment selected for purposes of illustration, is not to betaken as indicating the limits of the present invention, eXcept in so far as it sets forth certain features of cooperative relationship between the parts. I also desire it understood that the attachment is applicable to apparatus embodying other forms of condenser than that selected for illustration and other forms of pump, although some of its minor objects are obtainable only with the bucket form of pump, and this type is necessary to the fullest realization of all the advantages of the invention. 31 is an air check valve mounted in a 'i pump (piston or bucket-'as the case may be),

although this particular location may be varied if desired. The essential feature of Lavis-11 this location is that it be at a point beyond which the reciprocating member travels in its suction stroke, in order that a portion of said stroke may be utilized to draw air from the condenser after exerting the necessary pullupon the water in the condenser. In order to realize a still further advantage that is readily attainable with this feature of the invention, namely, the supply of sealing water to the valve from the lifting bucket, it is essential that the communication of the by-pass with the pump cylinder be at a point beyond which the upper surface of the bucket passes in its downward stroke, in order that water may How into the valve chamber from the upperV side of the bucket. It is to be understood, however, that while one aspect of the invention involves the use of all these characteristics in combination, the invention is not restricted in its scope to the use of all of them, since each characteristic is believed tofbe novel in itself and to aiford material advantage when present in an'organization of this kind. The specific location of theport which is preferred in order to realize all of the advantages, isr-about two-thirds of the upward stroke of the reciprocating' member. The location of the port 40 through which pipe 37 communicates with they condenser, is .largely a mattei' of choice, so long as it is above the water line, but it is best placedV be an opportunity for. some of this water to flow in to the air valve chamber 32,- and thus there will Vbe a suflicient amount of water in the air valve chamber 32 to seal the air valve 31 during the short period the bucket -24l-is below the opening 33 even should the air valve be partly worn and freely leaking. Y

rIhe chamber 32 is of such a shape and communicates with the cylinder at such position relatively to the Vstroke of the pump, that it forms a pocket and traps sufficient water from above the bucket on each upward stroke, to insure water-sealing 'of the valve 31. Byy having the valve 31 inverted and the pipe 37 above, accumulation of water in pipe 37 and clogging of the air passages from the condenser to air cylinders is prevented. If, from one reason or another, water should collect in the pipe, it will immediately be discharged at the instant the valve opens, and thus leave a free air passage from the condenser to the air cylinder. 38 represents an angle valve adapted to cut out the by-pass for the air, in case it should become impaired, and leave the main apparatus fully operative as in ordinary pumps and condensers.

As I prefer to use a pump bucket with soft packing, the perforations 33a will be of comparatively small diameter, so that the flink 64 with the wrist plate 63 in the walkpacking will ride over them and not press out into the'openings.

If the automatic valve 31 should fail to open, as for instance where there is not sufficient accumulation of air, 4I provide a mechanical device for positively operating it. Such a positive valve-opening means is shown best in Fig. 3, where a trip-motion opens the valve as the bucket passes over the opening 33L in the wall in the air cylinder and trips to permit the valve to close at the end of the upward stroke. By the use of the mechanically operated valve, all

resistance to opening will be overcome and an increase of vacuum would be obtained, but in most-cases, a vacuum of twenty-eight (2S) inches may be produced with the automatic type of valve 31.

In adapting the device to be operated positively, air valve 31 in the casing 34, controlling the connection pipe 37, is replaced by a valve 41 secured on a spindle 42 and seating against the valve seat 36 which also forms a guide for the spindle (see Fig. 3). At an intermediate point on the spindle 42, is provided a water sealV stuffing boX 58 with a closing nut 59 and gland 60. About the middleof the stuffing boX, the spindle is surrounded by an annular lantern gland A `61 which has openings registering with the corresponding openings in the side of the stuffing box and a pipe 62 connects these openings with the discharge chamber 26 in the pump B, so that water is always supplied to the stuffing boX and forms a water seal around the spindle. The upper end of the spindle 42 reaches into the dash-pot 43 and carries a dash-pot piston 44 fitting snugly therein. In' this dash-pot cylinder is seated a spring 45-tending to raise the valve and hold it up against its seat 36. In the bottom of the dash-pot is provided a bushing 46 for the spindle 42 and throughk this bushing, the guide screw 47 penetrates into the rod to prevent it from turning. The lip 48, preferably made from tool steel or some other hard material, -is set into the spindle 42 in a suitable position so as to be engaged by a tripping toe 49, which is also required to be made of hard material. AThis toe is carried to slide longitudinally in a housing 50 mounted to rock on a shaft 55 which is carried in bearings in the frame 57. A small screw 51, engaging in a corresponding slot in the housing 50, prevents the turning of the toe 49. The rearwardlythe amount of projection of the toe, and a -spring 54, acting between the forward collar on the sleeve 52 and a gland 53 screwed into the rocking'housing 50, tends to press the sleeve with the toe 49 forward.

lA rocking lever 56 connected by means of ing beam shaft, is provided to oscillate the housing 50 and the toe 49. By means of a turn buckle 65, the link 64 may be shortened or lengthened for the purpose of adjusting the opening of the air valve. It

will be understood that where a twin pump arrangement is employed, as suggested in Fig- 2, the valve mechanism is duplicated, andthe connecting pipe 37 is branched horizontally to connect with both valve casings 34, as suggested in Fig. 2.

Referring particularly to Fig. 2, showing the pump operating mechanism as when the left hand bucket is in its eXtreme upper position, with the air valve released by the tripper and forced back by spring 45 to its seat, and the right hand bucket at its extremelower position and ready to start upward, it will be seen that the tripping toe on the right hand side has a large amount of lost motion before engaging with lip 48 to openthe air valve 41. The. proportion between the lost motion and the acting portion of its stroke is approximately two to one, so that the lost motion of the tripping toe coincides with the first two-thirds of the upward stroke of the bucket 24. Hence,

the instant the bucket passes the opening the top of the condenser A to the vacuum ucylinder 22, forming a free open passage for air, without obstruction or resistance from valves. The toe 49 is timed to trip, that is, to release the air valve 31 just before the completion of the stroke of the bucket 24, so that the valve is instantly returned to its seat by spring 45, thereby allowing-*nothing that has been drawn. into the cylinder to escape back into the condenser, the discharge instantly taking place throughthe bucket valves on the return or downward stroke. Then bucket 24 is at the lower end of its stroke, covered with a quantity of water and commencing its upward movement, vacuum beneath the bucket will lbe practically absolute until the bucket The construction for the release of the air valve here shown is such that it may be adjusted to open from one-quarter of an inch to three-quarters of an inch; which adjustment can be made whilethe pump is in operation. This will permit of adjusting the air valve to open and close at a time when the best results may be obtained.

The dash pot is used to control the upward or seating stroke in the air valve and to prevent its destruction, by the very strong spring that is used in this case.

The water seal pipe 62 being connected with the discharge chamber 26, is constantly flooded while the pump is in operation, and with the water sealed stuffing box as shown -in the drawing, the valve spindle is always surrounded by water and perfectlysealed.

It is customary in known pump condensers to regulate the' injection cone 4L so that the amount of water used in the condenser f will lill the vacuum cylinder 22 anywhere from one-half totlii'eaquarters full at each stroke according to the amount of load carried or steam to be condensed. In the present case, the cylinder is shown two-thirds tull oit'water, that is, up to line C-D Vin the drawing. In addition to'y steamand water entering the condenser, there is always more or less air to contend with', caused by leaking joints on stuling boxes, etc. In machines not provided with my new device, it would evidently be impossiblev to exhaust air lf'roin condenser A until the water therein reaches a level denoted by line 'E-I Fig. l, a'short distance below the upper wall of the pipe 17, because said pipe is water sealed andv air cannot escape until the water in the condenser drops below its upper Wall.

Since it required nearly one pound of pressure more in the condenser, than in the cylinder, to lproduce this condition, there is a loss of approximately two inches of vacuum in the condenser, to sustain this difference of twenty-four inches between the water level in the cylinder and that in the condenser. This condition is to be found in all vertical bucket air pump constructions of to-day. It is the cause of making such pumps short stroke in order to avoid the forcing of water to such a high level. All these diiiilculties are overcome by using the appliances of the present invention, in which a communication is employed between the condenser and the air chamber of the pump above the water level, but sufficiently below the upper limit of the pumping stroke to insure an eliective pull on the air during the latter portion of the pumping stroke. Ifclaimrl. In combination with a condenser, a vertical bucket pump having both a waterdrawing connection and anv air-drawing connection with the condenser; said air-drawingv connection communicating withv the point after commencement of the suction v stroke of the pump.y

2. In combination, an exhaust steam condenser, a pump cylinder with a reciprocating bucket, a conduit between the lower ends of said condenser and said cylindena normally closed air co-nnection between the condenser andthe vacuum cylinder above the Water level of the condenser, and a valve in said air connection, said valverv having mechanical means opening it to pass air from the condenser to the vacuum cylinder during a portion of the latter half ot the buckets upstroke.

3. In combination, an exhaust steam condenser, a pump cylinder with a reciprocating suction member, a conduit between the lower ends of said condenser and said vacu-y um cylinder; a 'normally closed air connection between the condenser and the vacuum cylinder above the water level of the condenser, and a valve in said air conysaid seat.

4.- In combination, an exhaust steam condenser, a pump cylinder with a reciprocating suction member, a conduit between the lower ends of said condenser and said vacuum cylinder; anormally closed air connection between the condenser and the vacuum cylinder above the water level of the condenser,

and a valve in said air connection, positive means whereby said valve is opened for pass- 'ing air from the condenser to the vacuum cylinder during a portion of the suction .members upstroke; said valve comprising a head, aspindle for the head, a seat, a stuling box around the spindle, and a spring to normally hold the head against said seat; said stuffing boX having a water seal fed. from the pump. Y

5. In combination, au exhaust steam condenser,` a pump cylinder with a reciprocating suction member, a conduit between the lower ends of said condenser and said ycylinder; a normally closed connection between the condenser and theV cylinder above the water level of the condenser, a valve in said connection, and mechanical means for opening said valve to pass air from the condenser to the vacuum cylinder during a por- 'tion vof the latter half of the buckets up- 'stroke; said valve comprising a seat, a head and a spindle for the head; said mechanical means comprising a lip on said spindle, a tripping toe adapted to engage said lip during a part of its stroke, an oscillating housing for said tripping toe, and a link driven by a prime mover synchronously with said pump.

6. In combination, an exhaust steam condenser, a pump cylinder witha reciprocating suction member, a conduit between the lower ends of said condenser and said cylinder; a normally closed connection between the condenser and the cylinder above the water level of the condenser, a valve in said connection, and mechanical means for opening said valve to pass air from the condenser to the vacuum cylinder during a portion of the latter half of the buckets upstroke; said valve comprising a seat, a head and a spindle for lthe head; said mechanical means comprising a lip on said spindle, a tripping toe adapted to engage said lip during a part of its stroke, an oscillating housing for said tripping toe and a link driven by a prime mover synchronously with said pump; said tripping toe being yieldingly seated in said housing.

7 In combination, an exhaust steam condenser, a pump cylinder with ya reciprocat ing suction member, a conduit between the lower ends of said condenser and said cylinder; a normally closed connection between the condenser and the cylinder above the water level of the condenser, a valve in said connection, and mechanical means for opening' said valve to pass air from the con denser to the vacuum cylinder during a portion of the latter half of the buckets upstroke; said valve comprising a seat, a head and a spindle for the head; said mechanical means comprising a lip on said spindle, a tripping toe adapted to engage said lip during a part of its stroke, an oscillating housing for said tripping toe, and a link driven by a prime mover synchronously with said pump; there being an adjusting member for said tripping toe to regulate its amount of protrusion, thereby timing its length of engagementwith said lip.

S. In combination, an exhaust steam condenser, a pump cylinder with a reciprocating suction member, a conduit between the lower ends of said condenser and said cylinder; a normally closed connection between the condenser and the cylinder above the water level of the condenser, a valve in said connection, and mechanical means for opening said valve, to pass air from the condenser to the vacuum cylinder during a portion of the latter half of the buckets upstroke; said valve comprising a seat, a head and a spindle for Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

the head; said mechanical means comprising a lip on said spindle, a tripping toe adapted to engagesaid lip during a part of its stroke, an oscillating housing for said tripping toe, and a link driven by a prime mover synchronously with said pump; there being a sleeve nut on said link for determining the moment of opening said valve.

9. In combination, a condenser, an exhaust pump cylinder, having a water inlet at one end communicating with the discharge end oit' the condenser, a single acting reciprocatory piston in the pump cylinder, and an air passage affording communication betweenl the condenser and the pump cylinder, said passage having its outlet between the limits of movement of the piston, the piston being effective during the initial suction movement to draw water into the cylinder and during the latter part of its suction movement to draw air into the cylinder.

10. In combination, a condenser, and a single actingpiston, an exhaust pump connected at one end to the condenser, a valved port connecting the pump cylinder and the condenser and positioned on the cylinder within the amplitude of movement of the piston, so that water will be drawn through the cylinder during the first part of the suction stroke of the piston, and so that air will be drawn into the cylinder during the latter part of the stroke of the piston.

11. In combination, a condenser, an exhaust pump connected to the condenser and having a water inlet port in connection with the condenser, an air inlet port communicating with the pump cylinder and the condenser, a single acting piston whose ampli- .tude of movement is such as to permit the piston to pass beyond the air inlet during its suctionstroke to draw air into the cylinder.

12. In combination, a condenser, a single acting reciprocatory piston suction pump, a water passage connecting one end 'of the pump with one end of the condenser, a valved air passage between the condenser and the pump cylinder, the valve of which opens in the direction of the pump cylinder, the amplitude of movement of the piston in the pump cylinder being such as to cause it to pass beyond the air port opening during its suction stroke to first draw water into the cylinder and then air.

The foregoing speciiication signed at Boston, Massachusetts, this 15th day of April, 1916.

WILLIAM I-I. BLAKE.

In presence of- KARL W. PERKINS, Lizzie C. BLAKE.

Washington, D. C. 

